1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to protective gloves of the type used by surgeons and other medical personnel to afford protection from contamination and infection and, in particular, to surgical gloves having multiple layers.
2. Statement of the Problem
Thin latex protective or surgical gloves are presently used by surgeons, nurses and other medical personnel during surgery and other medical procedures. Such gloves are now being used by police, firemen and other emergency personnel.
These gloves provide protection from contamination or infection from the wearer to the patient as well as preventing contamination and the spread of infection from the patient to the wearer. These gloves are susceptible to puncture and rupture during use especially by sharp surgical devices, risking exposure of the surgeon or other wearer as well as the patient to possible infection. In view of the alarming increase of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), this is a matter of great concern to the medical and emergency community.
Currently, to prevent the risk of possible infection should a glove be punctured, many surgeons use a "double-gloving" technique. This technique involves either a correctly sized glove worn over a glove of the next larger size or a larger glove worn under the correctly sized glove. However, there are problems associated with the use of the "doublegloving" technique. If the larger glove is worn over the correctly sized glove, then as excess amount of glove forms at the fingertips. The outer glove further tends to slip and bunch during use over the inner glove. If the larger glove is worn under the correctly sized glove, then a bunching of the excess glove occurs at the finger tips. In both instances, there is a loss of tactile sensitivity; this impedes the performance of fine surgical technique. The use of double gloves also constricts the movement of the hand causing discomfort and tiring of the hand muscles.
Other solutions to the problem of preventing glove puncture include reinforced gloves such as the type disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,216. This patent discloses a surgical glove comprising an increased thickness at the thumb and index digit portions of the gloves. The increased thicknesses are formed by dipping the exterior of the digit portions in fluid latex, then curing and vulcanizing the digit portion forming an integral cover part on the glove at high risk areas. In one embodiment, a space is formed between the cover and underlying digit member which is filled with an indicator substance. This type of glove does not provide adequate protection across the palm and back of the hand. These gloves create decreased tactile sensitivity at the precise areas where such sensitivity is needed. The surgeon must also rely on visual sighting of the indicator to know when a puncture of the glove has occurred.
Other types of surgical gloves include multilayer gloves such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,065. This type of glove comprises a flexible elastic glove having multiple layers wherein each outermost layer is removed after use and discarded. The gloves are formed by dipping a mold into fluid latex to form a layer, curing the layer, spraying a release agent onto the layer and repeating the operation to form additional layers. This type of glove has the same disadvantages as double-gloving and reinforced gloves. There is decreased sensitivity as well as no warning to the wearer that a puncture of the glove has occurred until the wearer's hand is punctured.
There exists a need for an improved surgical glove which will provide protection and warning to the wearer of puncture during use while allowing sufficient tactile sensitivity to perform fine surgical technique. The need also exists for a surgical glove with added protection that will provide ease of hand movement and reduce hand fatigue. These and other features are accomplished by the present invention.